The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for rack installation, and more specifically, to an apparatus for rack installation with integrated guidance, protective and weight distribution features.
Electronic equipment, such as computers or servers, may be installed in racks to provide modularity and flexibility in an organized and compact assembly. For example, data centers may have hundreds of racks arranged within large rooms, where several servers may be mounted in each rack. The racks may be organized in rows and arranged closely to one another to utilize available floor space. Thus, installing and moving the racks may be a complex task. The racks, including electronics hardware, may be very heavy, making movement and installation of the racks more difficult.
In some cases, the racks may have to be arranged and installed in a certain order due to space and/or wiring constraints. For example, in a situation where six racks are to be installed in a row adjacent to one another, the first and second racks are installed in the first and sixth positions in the row in a first step. The remaining racks are installed in similar fashion, where the third and fourth positions (i.e., most central positions) in the row are installed last. For data centers where the racks are to be tightly arranged and spaced a small distance apart, an outer rack placement that is misplaced by a small amount may adversely affect a subsequent rack installation at the row's center. After placement of the rack on the floor, feet may be used to support the racks, where the weight of the racks may cause damage to the floor due to the concentrated load from the feet to the floor.